Bandai’s Lupin III line (via their S.H. Figuarts execution) is really sailing along. Jigen Daisuke just joined the throng with Lupin and Fujiko last month, and now Inspector Zenigata has arrived, too. You cannot have exploits as a master gentleman thief without the relentless pursuit of the law, and “Pops” has been chasing down Lupin since his first caper.
This line has been so much fun to collect, and while it had been several years since I had sat down to watch a Lupin feature, I have gone back and revisited several since the Lupin and Fujiko figures were released back in April. The dynamic between Lupin and his partner Jigen always brings laughs, the chemistry between Lupin and Fujiko is relatable, and the competition between Lupin and Zenigata drives the stories. They are a classic pairing of “cops and robbers” and while they stand on opposite sides of the law, their similarities are striking, and one cannot exist without the other. I could talk of their dynamic for days, but the point is that Zenigata is just as, if not more, essential to Lupin than any of the other characters.
I am big fan of Zenigata (or as Lupin calls him, “Tottsan” or “Pops” in the English dubs), and while Lupin is the suave, fun-loving protagonist, as an agent of INTERPOL, Pops is actually the good guy in these stories. Like Principal Rooney in Ferris Beuller’s Day Off, Zenigata is only trying to do his job, as unglamorous as it may be, and he is obsessed with bringing the high-profile and elusive thief to justice. Lupin is a master of what he does (you know, steal stuff?), but Zenigata is no less skilled in his profession, and just like Lupin lives to evade Pops, Pops does his best work while on the trail of the gentleman thief. For being the “old man,” he is physically imposing, and his judo skills and mastery of handcuffs are second to none.
Like Jigen, Zenigata is a Tamashii web-exclusive figure, so he had a bit more limited availability, but he is definitely worth the extra effort, and cost. Seeing this group come very near to completion is a real thrill (more on that in a minute), and the consistency kept within this group, as well as the cool packaging, is very nice. Lupin, Jigen, and Pops all share several pieces to help keep that consistency, but to also help offset the tooling costs. I mentioned in my look at Jigen that it doesn’t mean anything has been shoehorned in inappropriately in terms of construction, because that is certainly not the case, and there are plenty of new pieces with this release to have a dynamic and faithful Inspector Zenigata.
So, if you have Lupin and/or Jigen, you already have a pretty good idea of how this old man can move. The articulation scheme is pretty much held over from the previous two releases, but even with the long jacket, most of that functionality remains the same. The obvious exception to this is that you cannot really get Pops to sit properly because of said jacket, so if that will detract from your opinion of him, let it be known now. That said, the old man can pose really well, and with Bandai’s consistent fluid, yet strong joints, the wacky hijinks of the manga and movies can be easily achieved.
While Zenigata is limited like Jigen, one place he really has him is in the accessory department. To me, Jigen was a bit of a letdown in terms of extras, but Pops is back at the level of Lupin, and it makes me glad. He has several sets of swappable hands to fit just about any situation, so the trigger finger, fist, grip, splayed hand, and “cuff” hand come in handy. Pops is known for his lariat-like skill with handcuffs, so the included pose hand is nice, especially considering that you also get a separate set of cuffs that can be used to lock up Lupin. Pops also comes with three very expressive swappable heads: a standard placid look, a panicked/yelling look, and a smirking expression. Pops might show just as much, if not more, range of emotion as Lupin himself, so Bandai did a nice job here.
Zenigata also comes with his trusty Colt .45 pistol and his standard-issue police jitte. For an old man, he is in great physical condition, but his pistol skills in the stories is eclipsed only by that of Jigen. Since the trigger finger hand is borrowed from Lupin, Pops suffers from the same condition of not being able to pose with the finger on the trigger as nicely as I would like, but it is not bad at all. The jitte is an implement used to stop knives and swords, and since Pops is often seen with it, it is a nice inclusion.
Finally, I find Zenigata to be tied with Jigen as far as being the most faithful 3D adaptation of these characters. Lupin and Fujiko are both great too, but something about Pops just puts him over the edge and the figure emotes his character really well. You can almost here him shouting, “Lupiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin!” as the gentleman thief barely escapes his grasp, so I think this might be my favorite of the bunch, so I hope you were able to grab the figure while it was available.
What a fun little collection this has become! I have adored Lupin III for a long time, so I am really glad Bandai has made these figures, and the quality is just great. Lupin and Fujiko are both still readily available, but if you did not pre-order Pops here (or Jigen), I suggest you grab him when you see him. But here is the really important thing: GOEMON ISHIKAWA MUST BE MADE.
The prototype was shown off almost a year ago along with these four, but since then we have heard nothing about him. I am VERY nervous because he has not been solicited yet, but I am keeping my fingers crossed we will still see him. I would be an outright crime to get this entire set, yet miss out on him, so, Bandai, please — I implore you! Goemon must be made!!!
